MC Alger head coach Rulani Mokwena has made two candid admissions about his former mentor, Pitso Mosimane.
The pair previously worked together at Mamelodi Sundowns, where Mokwena served as assistant coach under Mosimane’s leadership.
After parting ways with Sundowns in 2024, Mokwena ventured north, taking charge of Wydad Casablanca in Morocco before moving to MC Alger in Algeria this season.
He credits Mosimane’s groundbreaking success with Al Ahly for changing perceptions about South African coaches in North Africa, saying that it paved the way for opportunities like his own.
Mokwena also admitted that he owes much of his own growth and coaching career progression to Mosimane, who gave him an opportunity at Sundowns.
“Coach Pitso had a big influence on that [North Africans appreciating SA],” said Mokwena during the interview with SAFJA.
“His success with Al Ahly was probably the door opener. Not only his success on the pitch, with regards to what he did in Champions League but also with regards to his work and conduct as a professional coach.
“And also his ability to manage a big changing room at that time showed that South African coaches do have the capacity to manage in the North and deal with the pressure of managing big clubs with a lot of pressure from the fans.
“Coach Pitso deserves a lot of credit for opening the way. I was fortunate to work with him for many years and so I know the man.
“To be honest, I owe a lot of who I am today to him. So, from that perspective, I could say that was one of things [that make North Africans recognise SA].